The Deep-Seated Grudge: Pt. 1

From the creator of the acclaimed "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Path of the Assassin" manga series comes yet another tale of revenge that is one of the inspirations behind Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" films. The story follows Yuki, a child of hell, trained since birth for the sole purpose of avenging the family she has never known. And for the price of a thousand yen, she is also an assassin serving the Japanese underworld. To carry out her tasks, Yuki assumes many occupations: a dice dealer, a street performer, an artist, and a noblewoman. And she's not above dropping her kimono if it makes her enemies drop their guard. Anything goes as Yuki sharpens her skills in anticipation of her ultimate goal. Created in the 70's and published 2 years ago by Dark Horse Comics, Lady Snowblood keeps Kazuo Koike's promise of a gripping story in Japan's Meiji era while Kazuo Kamimura's artwork nails every graphic detail. And `graphic' it is, showing everything from sex to stabbings. The manga also poses as a historical piece, summarizing the growing westernization of the country in those early days (e.g.: Yuki's one of the few Japanese women who wears bloomers). Taking a break halfway through, the spotlight shines on Yuki's dying mother who, after giving birth to Yuki in prison, tells of the chain of events leading to Lady Snowblood's creation. To sum it all up, "Lady Snowblood" is great read for the hack-and-slash crowd, as well as action and drama buffs. This comic is rated M for Mature: Graphic Violence, Nudity, Adult Language, Adult Situations, Strong Sexual Content.

Lady Snowblood is a classic reminder that all daughters are their mother's legacy. Once upon a time a village woman named Osayo lost everything she had in life to four complete monsters [the woman Okono Kitahama and her evil cohorts Tokuichi Shoei, Hanzo Takemura, and Gishuru Tsukamoto] and years later, while serving a life sentence in an Meiji-era prison, she decides to get herself pregnant and gives birth to a child for the sole purpose that this child will exact revenge. Osayo does not survive the birth, but her daughter, Yuki, grows to become Lady Snowblood. Sound like a riveting `chick movie' plot? Guess again, this is Seinen manga at its best. Book 1 contains some notable Lady Snowblood shorts, like "Sumida River Loincloth Cutting Board" [Champloo fans will pick up on Fu's obvious homage to Yuki when they see her die-rolling scene in the gambling den!] as well as the poignant story of Yuki's birth in "Love, Hate, String of Blood, and Confession." The most erotic story in this volume is the "Stylish Woman and Umbrella Over Rain of Blood." You'll never look at marital aids the same again... Now my personal favorite is "Rokumeikan Murder Panorama" because it features one of the best `sensei' style characters named Kiku of Tajire, a no-nonsense woman who shows Yuki the tricks of curbside larceny. The artwork is stellar and certainly NOT for children nor for young teen readers IMHO, as there are scenes of lesbian sex, rape, and brutal fighting violence-all of which is beautifully illustrated by Kazuo Kamimura, and no where near exploitive or overdone as one might expect. Once again writer Kazuo Koike delivers a believable anti-heroine in a genre where women aren't the usual focus unless they're victims. Peppered throughout the story are informative comments meshed so well within the story the reader never loses focus. It's obvious I love this series, so I'll stop fangirling and just highly recommend it. It's worth the $13 price tag because the book's been printed by Dark Horse this outing so despite how many days you spend with it open, you can still retire it to your shelf when finished, minus embarrassing spine ware.

Long after the Lady Snowblood movies arrived here and long after the "Lone Wolf and Cub" manga was published in English, we finally have the manga version of "Lady Snowblood," which preceded the movies. And what a magnificent manga series it is. If you loved "Lone Wolf and Cub" and are a fan of hard-edged historical Japanese manga with vengeful, single-minded heroes (and heroines), swift, bloody violence, and illicit sex, you'll love this as well. The artwork (by Kazuo Kamimura) is sharp, elegant, beautifully designed and quite cinematic. Every page has breathtaking images. The storytelling (by Kazuo Koike, who also wrote "Lone Wolf and Cub") is concise, exciting, and dramatic. If you've seen the two Lady Snowblood movies, LADY SNOWBLOOD and LOVE SONG OF VENGEANCE (both reviewed on this site), you'll be somewhat familiar with the lead character, an orphaned woman named Yuki, who was born in prison and raised by an ex-con and grows up to avenge the death of her mother (and that of her mother's murdered husband--not Yuki's father) in Meiji-era Japan. The revenge mission is telescoped into the first Snowblood movie, while the manga basically tells self-contained stories of her exploits as a hired assassin who uses her beauty and cunning to gain access to crime bosses, greedy businessmen and corrupt, high-placed officials for the purpose of neutralizing them one way or the other. (She doesn't always need to kill them herself.) Of the five stories contained in Volume 1, one is devoted to the origin story of Yuki's birth in prison, another is devoted to her month-long training to become a skilled pickpocket (to carry out a specific mission), and the other three all detail separate jobs she's been assigned. I look forward to reading future volumes.